


i’d give you the universe if i could

by lotorotor



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Allura is on thin fucking ice, Anxiety, Bad Advice, Boys Kissing, Gift Giving, Impatient Keith, Keith (Voltron) is Bad at Feelings, Keith has a hobby and it involves wood and a knife, Lotor is really gay tho, M/M, Romance, Teasing, Valentine’s Day, and so do Pidge and coran, broganes, canon compliant (sort of), it’s compliant with the bits of canon I like, it’s the beginning of their relationship, lance needs to stop, seriously Keith why would you ask the other Paladins about romance?, shiro is the only valid paladin, so Keith is nervous about everything
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-15
Updated: 2019-02-15
Packaged: 2019-10-28 15:50:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,550
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17790269
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lotorotor/pseuds/lotorotor
Summary: Keith is unsure where to go with his new relationship with Emperor Lotor, until Pidge tells him that Valentines Day is coming up. That gives him an idea...





	i’d give you the universe if i could

“Valentine’s Day?” Lotor asked, his brow furrowed in confusion. Keith couldn’t help but find the man adorable and he indulged himself in a small smile.

It was one of the occasions when Lotor was able to visit in person, when they weren’t restricted to video chatting. When they were actually together, something that was much rarer than either liked. Today, they were in Keith’s room on the Castle of the Lions, seated on his bed. There was space between them, a mere couple of inches, but it felt like miles. Keith wanted to breach the space, he did, but he didn’t know how. This thing he had with Lotor was still so new and fragile, he was terrified of messing it up.

Valentine’s Day, however, seemed like a safe step to take.

“Yeah, it’s an Earth holiday. A day dedicated to love.” Keith explained. “It’s usually celebrated with gifts and stuff. Pidge told me it was coming up and, well, I thought maybe I could celebrate it with you.”

“Hmm.” Lotor leaned toward Keith, his lips settling into a smirk. “You want to spend the day of love with me, do you?”

Keith’s cheeks darkened. “Of course I do. Don’t be an asshole,” he grumbled, looking away in an attempt to hide his blush.

“I suppose something could be arranged.” Lotor chuckled. “When is it?”

“Three quintants, according to Pidge.”

“Ah.” Lotor rummaged in the pocket of his casual pants, pulling out a flat screen. Tapping it with his long elegant fingers, he hummed. “In three quintants, it appears I have a rather boring meeting with the Olkari.”

Disappointment welled in Keith’s chest. He prepared himself to reassure Lotor that it was okay, they could do it the next time he was free. Whenever that was.

But Lotor was tapping once more and then he put the screen away with a satisfied air. “There. Now I don’t have anything.

Keith blinked once. “Wait… you… you cancelled it?”

“Delayed it. And now I’m free to be yours this- what was it? Valentine’s Day?”

“Yeah, Valentine’s Day.” Slowly, hesitantly, he leaned forward and pressed a kiss to Lotor’s cheek. A way to say  _ thank you _ how he wasn’t sure he could with words.

A flush crept over that lavender face and Lotor cupped Keith’s with one clawed hand. Gently, he tugged him forward and pressed their lips together. It was soft, hardly there at all, but it left Keith’s head spinning. It left him wanting more.

* * *

 

Theoretically, three quintants was not very long. Most of Keith’s Blade missions stretched far longer and normally his separations from Lotor were at least seven if he was lucky.

This time, each tick seemed to stretch for seven eternities.

And, okay, part of that was Keith’s fault. He’d thought it was a good idea to go to Lance for advice on what he should do for Valentine’s Day. Yeah, he had been helpful, but he’d also been extremely insufferable. If he wasn’t popping up with more “ideas”, many of which involved the various scenarios in which Keith could surprise Lotor in the nude, he was loudly teasing him. And, as things go, it would have been nearly bearable if it had just been Lance. But Coran had overheard and put two and two together and now he was joining in on both the teasing and coming up with rather unhelpful advice.

Even worse, between the two of them, now all of the other knew. Allura had approached him in concern, wanting to make sure Keith was being safe, having taken Lance’s naked suggestions to heart. That was horrible. Hunk, though his intentions were pure, had been asking too many questions and made too many offers to help. 

Pidge hadn’t said anything, thank god, but she often had a knowing smirk on her face, which in itself was irritating. 

Shiro was the only source of relief. Keith had run his ideas by him, and he’d offered his two cents and nothing more. He did not tease, he did not persist in “making sure” Keith was “not going to blow it”. But Shiro had always been the only one to really understand Keith. Really, he should have stuck with only talking to Shiro and left Lance out of it.

It was too late for that, which meant all Keith could do was regret and stare at the clock with impatience.

So he was spending more time than usual locked in his room or on the training deck, slashing dummies with his knife. And still, time was crawling at a snail’s pace. He did have preparations, yes, but most of it involved making himself presentable. He’d already gathered and wrapped his gifts, and he’d spruced up his bedroom, the one place where they were guaranteed privacy. All that was left to do was wait.

Keith hated waiting.

He tried to sleep the time away, but only ended up staring at the ceiling, failing at his attempts to not think. 

At some point, he ended up with Shiro. Much to his relief, his best friend didn’t ask him about his upcoming plans. Instead, he talked about the planet he’d recently read about and Keith settled in to listen. Shiro loved to learn, but he loved to teach even more, and Keith had always been his favorite student. So he listened, and though he still checked the time more often than usual, he found himself more relaxed than he’d been since talking to Lotor. 

Keith had never had a serious relationship before. Oh, he’d dated. Nothing serious. Just a couple of boys back on earth with pretty eyes and nice jawlines. He’d never gone past the third date.

Now, not only did he have a boyfriend that he thought he might be falling in love with, but his boyfriend happened to be a gorgeous alien emperor. He was royalty, he’d probably had loads more experience than Keith, and he, for some unfathomable reason, had chosen to be with him.

So, yes, his anxiety was justified. 

Still, he reasoned with himself, his Valentine’s Day plan had one advantage; Lotor was fascinated with learning about other cultures. And yes, Keith was using that to his advantage, because at least he knew that Lotor would be happy to learn something new. Even if Keith botched this whole thing up.

“Keith?” Shiro said, his voice low and comforting. “You seem distracted.”

The man blinked at his friend. “Hm?”

“Don’t you only have a few Vargas left to get ready?” Shiro smiled, ruffling Keith’s hair, just like he used to when he was a kid. 

“Oh!” Keith jumped to his feet, throwing a thank you over his shoulder as he hurried back to his room. In his obsession over the ticking seconds, somehow, he had completely lost track of time altogether. Honestly, it wasn’t the worst turn of events. 

First order of business was a shower. Scrubbing himself with soap, washing his hair, making sure he was completely clean. Then there was throwing on a shirt and jeans, checking the mirror to see that he looked presentable, and surveying his room. He’d kept things fairly simple; on the bedside table was a vase filled with a bouquet of flora from a nearby planet and the few gifts he’d collected were arranged in the center of his bed. Nothing too fancy and absolutely no nudity. No violin quartets either. Why he’d ever asked for Lance’s help…

Though maybe it was too simple. Maybe he should’ve chosen a different spot and decorated with red and pink. Maybe he should have gone all out or done anything other than what he’d actually done. Maybe Lance and Coran were right and he had no clue what he was doing.

A sing song voice over the castles com system left no more room for overthinking as Allura announced the arrival of Emperor Lotor.

Keith was half tempted to hide everything under his bed and claim that his attempts had been in vain.

“Keith get your butt out here!” Pidge said over the speakers, having apparently taken them over. He sighed and made his way to the center of the castle, his heart pounding in his ears.

Then he entered the control room and saw Lotor, his lavender face lighting up the moment Keith entered the room. Suddenly, his earlier anxieties were melting away because Lotor was here at last.

The two men strode across the room towards each other and then Keith was in Lotor’s arms and all was right with the universe. He buried his face in his chest and felt Lotor press a kiss to the top of his head, effectively erasing any lingering doubts he may have had.

“Happy Valentine’s Day, love.” Lotor said into his hair. Keith leaned back enough to look into his eyes and gave a small smile of his own.

“Happy Valentine’s Day.”

Keith stepped out of the embrace, instantly mourning the loss of contact. With a gesture for his boyfriend to follow, he began leading the way to his room.

“Use protection!” Pidge called after them. Keith cringed. He hadn’t even realized that anyone else was there besides his Lotor.

“Pidge…” that was Shiro’s ‘warning’ voice. He’d used it enough times on Keith for him to instantly recognize it.

He sped up, not wanting to be the subject of any more teasing.

They reached Keith’s room and he coughed. “I didn’t want.. I just wanted to make sure we’d have privacy.” 

“Mm, that’s probably a good idea.” Keith’s cheeks heated at Lotor’s teasing words. He led him to the bed and they sat next to each other, though Keith was still a bit frustrated at the careful distance. He wanted Lotor’s warmth, but he was terrified of overstepping some line he couldn’t see.

“So, uh, I got you a few things.” He reached for the pile of gifts, using it as an excuse to avoid eye contact. “Mostly traditional Valentine’s Day gifts. I was going to give this first one to you when you got here, but the others are too curious for their own sake.”

He handed Lotor the large, stuffed bear. It was red with white heart shaped spots speckled over it and a sparkly bow around its neck. 

“It’s so soft,” Lotor smiled, “what is it?”

“A teddy bear. They’re named after a famous human, Theodore Roosevelt, because he refused to shoot a baby bear once. And now they’re popular toys on Earth. They’re, like, one of those things couples always get each other, I think because they’re soft and cute.” 

“It reminds me of you.” He hugged the bear to his chest.

“What? How?”

“You’re soft and cute, too.” Lotor grinned as Keith turned red. 

“Shut up.” He mumbled, fumbling for the next package. This one was a pink heart shaped box which he placed on Lotor’s knee. “Hunk helped me with that one. He’s a genius in the kitchen and he made the little truffles.”

Lotor lifted the lid and picked out a heart shaped chocolate. “It’s food?”

“Yeah. Boxes of candy are pretty standard.” 

He popped the sweet in his mouth and chewed. “It’s interesting. I don’t think I’ve tasted anything like this, but I quite like it.”

“It’s pretty popular on earth. Humans come up with any excuse to eat it.”

Lotor picked up another truffle. “Here,” He said, placing it against Keith’s lips. He opened his mouth to protest, but Lotor took the opportunity to slip the sweet the rest of the way inside. Keith sighed and ate it, admittedly enjoying the sweetness on his tongue. 

“What’s with that look?” Lotor asked innocently.

“Nothing.” Keith shook his head and grabbed the third and final parcel. This one was smaller than the others, a box that fit in the palm of his hand. “This last ones a bit more… personal.” 

Setting the bear and chocolates aside, Lotor took the box and gently lifted the lid. His eyes widened as he slowly removed the wooden figure carved in the shape of lion ready to pounce. “Oh, Keith, this is lovely.”

“I’ve, uh, been working on it for a while.” He scratched his neck and looked down at his lap. “I wanted you to have something to remind you of me when you’re away.”

“You made this?” Lotor’s voice was full of wonder as he gazed at the small sculpture. “The level of detail… it’s beautiful.”

Keith shrugged. “My dad taught me a few things when I was a kid.” Practicing whittling had been his main way of alleviating boredom when he’d been alone in the desert, and he had not given it up after launching into space. This, however, was the first piece he’d given away, but he wanted Lotor to know him. All of him. 

A few minutes passed as Lotor studied the lion with rapture on his face before he reluctantly set it aside. “I remembered you mentioned ‘gifts’, so I took some time to find something for you as well.” He slipped a hand into his pocket and pulled out a chain. “The gem was forged in the core of a dying star.”

He poured the necklace into Keith’s upturned hands and he let out a sharp breath at the sight of the gleaming stone. It was carved into a heart, a dark purple color that reflected bits of coloured light off its smooth surface. Though it was small, it was deceptively heavy in his palm. “I- I don’t know what to say. It’s amazing. Thank you.” 

“It reminded me of your eyes.” Lotor gently took the necklace again and leaned forward to lift it over Keith’s head. He settled it into place, even taking time to adjusting Keith’s clothes, before lifting his eyes and gazing into the other’s. “Though I have to say, you far surpass it in beauty.”

“Oh.” was all Keith could say, distracted as he was by the blue eyes swimming in a sea of gold that were inches from him. The floral smell of Lotor washed over him and he leaned in ever so slightly.

“Keith…” Lotor whispered, closing the distance and capturing his lips with his own. Though it started out soft as a butterfly’s wing, it quickly built in passion and heat until they were practically devouring each other. Keith grunted into the kiss, moving closer until they were chest to chest, still tasting each other as though they never would again. Then Lotor was pushing Keith into the mattress, his long, ivory hair tickling where it touched his skin, and they attacked each other with renewed fervor. Keith wrapped his arms around wide shoulders, pulling Lotor down until there was no space between them. 

Lotor tore his lips from Keith’s, kissing along his cheek until he reached his ear and nipped the lobe. “You know, I think I’m quite a big fan of Valentine’s Day.”

Keith sighed. “I’m a fan of any day I get to spend with you.”

They kissed again and Keith felt that he was right where he belonged. Nothing felt better than the feeling of Lotor’s weight against his body, or the feel their lips moving together, or the smell that enveloped him whenever Lotor was close. 

Nothing was going to take this away from them. Keith would make sure of that.

**Author's Note:**

> Happy Valentine’s Day!! That’s all I have to say lol
> 
>  
> 
> find me on other sites  
> tumblr: @glitch-h  
> twitter: @lotorotor  
> insta: @caramelmacchiatoart


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